I took conversational analysis with professor Whitehead, and I really enjoyed this course! It was very interesting material and I will never look at conversations the same way again. The only assignments were four papers, but the guidelines are pretty straightforward and they are very kind graders.

Any negative reviews for professor Whitehead are because people haven't gone to study tables. The class is graded on 4 assignments 3 of which are only 4 pages each. Don't take it if you can't find time to go to the study tables. They are so helpful and you will pass with an A if you go to them. Prof really cares abt students he's amazing.

Bad class to take. BE CAREFUL ON WHAT YOU CHOOSE!! Professor is nice and TA is nice, but they wont help at all for improving my grade. I do feel as if I am not understanding anything in his class and no one bothers to help me, as I am desperate for improving my grade and is hard in this class. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!!!!! You will fail miserably!!!

Very good professor but class is super boring. Very hard to pass this class. He does not help me at all and that he never grades fairly. TA is never available as with most or all TA's in this campus. Very bad class to take. Not a Sociology class. Such a boring class that I am falling asleep. I am never taking this class again forthe rest of my life

Kevin Whitehead is the most amazing professor I know. He is great at teaching all of us about conversational analysis, and that he takes the time to explain things and important subjects in great detail. I definitely recommend him as a professor for all of your Sociology needs and classes in general. This class is hard somewhat, but a great prof :)

He is such a sweetheart. I was going through a tough depression and I missed the final submission deadline for the class. I was ready to take the L before prof Whitehead emailed me asking if I was doing okay and let me turn in a late final with no serious penalty. Said he didn't want me to miss out because of the good work I had done in the class.

This is a nice guy who is clearly passionate and helpful to students. Be warned: DO NOT TAKE 136A IF YOU DON'T LIKE LINGUISTICS. I'm not sure why this class is listed as sociology, there isn't very much sociological perspective and it felt like a grammar class. I was bored by this class and the content, but I can't fault him as a professor.

So much respect for Prof Whitehead. It seems very abstract in the beginning, but you WILL figure it out. He provides optional study tables that help SO MUCH. Don't be worried about not completely understanding the assignments. He uses a very holistic approach of grading. If you put in the effort, very high chance for an A!

Professor Whitehead spends more time in the first weeks trying to convince you this is a Sociology class instead of teaching. Hard pass if you're a Soc major, 'Conversation Analysis' is not what it sounds like. There's a reason why the class is the last Soc class to fill up! Whitehead is definitely a good professor, it's just NOT a Soc class.

Great professor! The class was a little difficult but if you go to his study tables everything will make sense. The class is well organized and is actually super interesting and shows a new perspective on how language works.

I was wrong about this class. I was extremely confused in the beginning of the qtr, but after a while you just end up getting the hang of it. I recommend attending lecture & section to fully grasp the material. Prof Whitehead not only has a cute lil accent, but genuinely wants everyone to do well. Overall, may be confusing but you'll get used to it

Kevin Whitehead is an amazing professor! He genuinely cares about his students and wants you to succeed. He holds study tables where students can come in groups to ask about class assignments so there really is no excuse not to do well! He is always showing clips in class, especially Friends, he loves Friends!! Would recommend taking his class!

Kevin is great! He cares about his student's success and holds study tables (office hours) where he helps you work through the assignments. Although class and section are not mandatory, you should go because they help ALOT. He plays sitcom videos during class to make sure you stay awake and connects it with the class. No Mid/Final just assignments

The class can be hard to understand and it can be easy to get lost during lectures but Professor Whitehead is always willing to help his students. He always stops to ask if there are questions and he holds study tables once a week. His study tables are extremely beneficial especially when there is an assignment. Attend study tables& u will do good

I haven't felt so lost in a class in a long time. I don't even know why this is a Sociology class, we haven't learned anything related to society. This is straight up a Linguistics class, which is not what I signed up for. It's extremely difficult to understand and I'm not interested in it at all. Hands down the worst class I've taken at UCSB. :(

DO NOT TAKE SOC136A. It says its about Conversational Interaction which EVERYONE around me thought was gunna be a class about interacting maybe something similar to Comm, but NO.. its about SOUNDS. He gives you transcripts of voice recordings/videos and we have to analyze the transitions between talking. Week 5 and i still don't know anything

A great professor and super accessible if you need help. A lot of group interaction work which is helpful. Very interesting topics and he does an excellent job at lecturing. 10/10 recommend.

he's literally the best professor i've had at UCSB. im not sure what the negative reviews are about, I took both 136A/C & they were all very interesting classes! If you go to study tables there is no way you can fail. He also provides you with all the information you'll need on canvas& give you a time bank of five days to turn in assignments late.

such a chill prof! him and his TA were very kind and were always available to help. attend study tables if you're struggling!!!! it reaaally helped me get through the course. the material was super interesting, but i feel like i only had a better understanding of it because i previously took ling courses so take it if you're interested in that

Such a sweet and understanding professor. The class was very manageable and the work was not graded too hard. The material itself was also very interesting. This class was just such a breathe of fresh air and the prof was so lovely.

He is the best professor I've ever had at UCSB so far. He's very kind and caring and really did his best to help every student to do well in his class. The extra credit opportunity helped a lot. Sometimes the lectures could be a little boring but this class never made me feel exhausted or anxious like some of my other classes did.

Kevin was a really nice guy and clearly passionate about the subject. He really values participation and attendance but gives plenty of chances to make up for missed assignment and classes if you communicate with him. Mostly reading annotation assignments, a few google earth assignments, 2 short presentations and a research paper final. Easy A.

Professor Whitehead makes class enjoyable and is a great teacher. Though the material can be tough at times because it is a bit complex, he is more than willing to help his students. He makes his lectures culturally relevant and uses clips from pop. media. Hes super approachable and one of the most understanding profs Ive had. Take him.

You will love Professor Whitehead. He lets you learn at your own pace and is readily available for any questions or concerns. I really enjoyed his class and felt he worked with me on things I did not understand or got wrong with my assignments/projects. You will not regret taking this class.